Heuchera plant named ‘Shimmer’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by small, strong veiled, blue green leaves, short flowering stems, pink flowers, a small, mounding habit with excellent crown count, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Shimmer’.

Trademark designation: LITTLE CUTIES™ ‘Shimmer’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheragiven the cultivar name of ‘Shimmer’. Heuchera is in the familySaxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Shimmer’ was bred to be a miniature Heucherafor small pots that is ever-blooming. Heuchera ‘Shimmer’ originated as acontrolled cross using Heuchera ‘B360-2’, a proprietary, unpatented,unnamed plant as the seed parent, and Heuchera ‘B369-1’, a proprietary,unpatented, unnamed plant as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera ‘B360-2’, the new cultivar hasleaves that are green rather than black, darker pink flowers, a strongerveil.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera ‘B369-1’, the new cultivar hasgreen leaves rather than purple leaves, pink flowers rather than purpleand white, a stronger veil, and a denser crown.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Peppermint’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,563, the newcultivar has a stronger veil.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

-   -   1. small, strong veiled, blue green leaves,    -   2. short flowering stems,    -   3. pink flowers,    -   4. small, mounding habit with excellent crown count, and    -   5. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tipcuttings and tissue culture using growing tips). Each of the progenyexhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexualpropagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standardmicropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done inCanby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctionscome true to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a twelve-month-old plant of Heuchera ‘Shimmer’ growing in asix-inch pot in a greenhouse in early December in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivarbased on observations taken in October of nine-month-old specimensgrowing in six-inch pots in a warm greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. Canby isZone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95°F. in August to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based onThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—12.5 cm tall from soil to foliage, 28 cm wide.        -   Number of crowns.—About 7.        -   Habit.—Small, mounding.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Rosette.        -   Shape.—Broadly ovate.        -   Number.—About 65.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 8.5 cm long and 8 cm wide.        -   Venation.—Palmate.        -   Lobing/division.—4 main lobes palmate lobes.        -   Margins.—Crenate, undulate.        -   Apex.—Mucronulate.        -   Base.—Cordate, strongly overlapping and often spiraling in.        -   Surface texture.—Glandular-puberulent on both sides.        -   Leaf rugosity.—Medium.        -   Leaf undulation.—Weak.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 8 cm long and 3 mm wide,            glandular hairs.        -   Leaf color.—Top side closest to Greyed Green 189C with veins            Green 136A, bottom side Greyed Green 191B with veins Greyed            Green 191B.        -   Glossiness.—Weak.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Size.—Grows to 10.5 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.        -   Type.—Thyrse, strong, upright.        -   Number of thyrse.—About 13.        -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—About 50.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 12 cm long and 2.5 mm wide at base,            glandular hairs.        -   Flowering stem attitude.—Upwards.        -   Pedicel.—Variable in size, with glandular hairs, Brown 200C.        -   Bloom period.—April through late October in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—5 mm long and 2.5 mm long.        -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid, down facing.        -   Color.—Red Purple N66C.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Perfect.        -   Shape.—Campanulate.        -   Attitude.—Down and side-facing.        -   Density.—Medium.        -   Size.—6.5 mm long and 5 mm wide.        -   Corolla description.—5 petals, each 2.0 mm long and 0.5 mm            wide, spatulate, margins entire, tip acute,            glandular-puberulent on bottom side, glabrous on top side,            both sides Red Purple 73D.        -   Calyx description.—Campanulate, 4.5 mm long and 6 mm wide,            with 5 lobes with narrow sinuses divided ½ way to the base,            each 2 mm wide and 2.5 mm long, oblong in shape, both sides            glandular-puberulent with glandular hairs (Red Purple 61C),            tip obtuse, margin entire, both sides between Red Purple 58C            and Red Purple 58D, strongest at base.        -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 1.5 mm long,            White NN155C, anthers 0.5 mm long, Greyed Orange 165A,            pollen Greyed Orange 167A.        -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 6 mm long and 0.5 mm wide,            White 155D overall, ovary 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, style 4            mm long.        -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit and seed:    -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.        -   Size.—4 mm long and 3 mm wide.        -   Fertility.—Low.        -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—Linear.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black 202A.-   Pest and disease tolerance: The new cultivar is typical to the    genus. No known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have    been found in Canby, Oreg.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.